Hi all, hoping to hear from people who have completed the N400 interview. My husband and I are studying for my test next week and we're having a debate as to whether I need to be answering EXACTLY as written on the flash cards - I mean, this is a government department after all!

For example, with the question:

There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.
▪ Citizens eighteen (18) and older (can vote).
▪ You don’t have to pay (a poll tax) to vote.
▪ Any citizen can vote. (Women and men can vote.)
▪ A male citizen of any race (can vote).

If I answer "that any citizen, male or female, or any race can vote" would this be marked as "wrong"? Because I am not repeating their approved answers exactly?

Or:

What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did? 

▪ freed the slaves (Emancipation Proclamation)
▪ saved (or preserved) the Union
▪ led the United States during the Civil War

I answered "issued the Emancipation Proclamation to change the legal status of some slaves" which again is correct but not exactly as they have written on the list of questions. 

Apologies if this is a stupid question, but this has been such a journey I would hate to mess up at the last step on a mere technicality!

Wohoo! Filed I-751 in November 2016, N-400 in March 2018, just received notification today that my N-400 interview letter is on its way.

21 minutes ago, asdfzc said:

same here but Its my N400 application. I complete everything just wait for interview to be scheduled. Anyone has the same situation? 

Me! for my N400 also. Last time I checked a few weeks ago I got the "we are processing your case and have no updates". Now it's "USCIS cannot provide updates on your case at this time". Hmm.

I have also had letters sent to an old address. I did another address change, but I'm not entirely confident it ever was actioned. Best we can do is keep the USPS mail redirect up-to-date and hope nothing's too delayed.

15 minutes ago, Snorlux said:

I applied for i751 in December 2016 but I don’t think it would have been processed if it wasn’t for my N400 interview coming up now. 

 

The officer initially told me I did good bringing my wife with me and he will call her in later to process the i751 but at the end of my interview he said I don’t need to bring her in I have faith in the marriage because you have a baby born in the marriage and he also saw the other documents I had with me like lease contracts, insurance cards etc. He said he will see my wife on the way out so he came and told her hi and sorry for keeping me so long. I think he just had to see her for logistical reasons like so he could say “his wife and baby were here with him”

Wow so when were you eligible to apply for N400? I applied for N400 as soon as I was able, which was February 2018 (three years after first green card was issued).

We're going to be out of the country on holiday for 3 weeks in August... was really hoping to have my new card by then but it's looking unlikely. I'm starting to get worried I'll hear from them with some kind of RFE or interview notice or something while we're away and miss a deadline. Has anyone contacted USCIS to tell them you're away and you will be unavailable during particular dates? Maybe I'm over-thinking it, but missing an interview notice because we were on holiday is my worst fear! My last letter for biometrics gave me less than a week's notice by the time it was delivered :\

10 hours ago, Lordofemrys said:

Yes and my interview is next month . Even my senator got back to me that Uscis confirmed that they have sent my I 751 to my local office so I assume it’s just to adjudicate it together with n400. Wbu did you have an interview date yet?

Nice, when did you file N400?

11 hours ago, frigatebird said:

I didn't receive the updated i797, my NOA is 12/08/2016. And I filed for N 400 this January. It looks like a bad idea now as CSC kicked my ROC to NBC.

Do you have an idea what is NBC time frame to schedule the N 400 interview/ combo interview?

No idea, I wish I did. When I filed for N400 people were saying on the forum that their I751 was processed faster after filing for naturalization, doesn't appear to be the case any more haha.

On 6/20/2018 at 3:23 PM, Mareshalu said:

Has anyone received an updated I-797 yet? It would definitely help us re-enter US easier, on top of the 551 stamp.

Update to Form I-797 Receipt Notices for Form I-751 and Form I-829

Versión en español

As of June 11, 2018, petitioners who file Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, or Form I-829, Petition by Entrepreneur to Remove Conditions on Permanent Resident Status, will receive a Form I-797 receipt notice that can be presented with their Form I-551, Permanent Resident Card, as evidence of continued status for 18 months past the expiration date on their Permanent Resident Card.

We are making the change from 12 to 18 months because current processing times for Form I-751 and Form I-829 have increased over the past year.

Additionally, we will issue new Form I-797 receipt notices to eligible conditional permanent residents whose Form I-751 or I-829 was still pending as of June 11, 2018. Those Form I-797 receipt notices will also serve as evidence of continued status for 18 months past the expiration date on petitioner’s Permanent Resident Card.

As a reminder, conditional permanent residents who plan to be outside of the United States for a year or more should apply for a reentry permit by filing Form I-131, Application for Travel Document, before leaving the country. Read more information on our Green Card webpage.

Yes, I received mine. The funny thing is, my card has already been expired for 17.5 months so the letter is only valid for two weeks...

4 minutes ago, frigatebird said:

I guess majority people in this thread got approval, those who used to maintain the chart all got their approval.

Someone like us still waiting are the minority, you filed for N400 too right?

It looks to me like all the approvals are from people who haven't filed N400, those of us who have both N400 and I-751 filed are still waiting to hear on either.

Any other December filers still waiting? Our application was received 5th December 2016, applied for N400 in March this year. Last heard that my I-757 was transferred to Lee's Summit on May 1st.

I just received an 'extension letter' for my green card which says it's valid for 18 months after expiry date on the card... never mind that 18 month mark is a mere two weeks away and I'm already on my second I-551 stamp. Seems a bit of a waste of resources!

14 hours ago, shell20 said:

No, you don't need to apply for a replacement if you are in the process of ROC and have a stamp, if you do that what will happen is you will pay a big lump sum of money to never see the replacement card. Just wait until your application is sorted, however if you have lost the card you need to file a police report as if youre not turning in your 2 year card USCIS will want to know you filed with the police.  This applies if lost/stolen.

Thank you for your help!

1 hour ago, Lemon23 said:

wait you have the green card already and you're still waiting for AOS? maybe what you meant is ROC?

Oops, yes wrong acronym. ROC!

Hi everyone, wondering if anyone has happened to misplace their physical green card while waiting for AOS?  

If I have both AOS and naturalisation in the queue, and I have an I-551 stamp, how does it work if it turns out I have misplaced my old, two-year-expired card? From what I'm reading on their website, if I notify USCIS, will they require me to apply for and pay $400 for a new one? Or should I just wait until one of my applications are approved?

Signed, a little stressed out...

So I'm going to advise something a little different to most others here based on my own experience.

I am an only child who had an amazingly close relationship with my parents. I was very worried before I moved about how they would cope with the distance. So I talked a lot about it with my husband before I moved and we agreed that we would make sure we could all see as much of each other as possible.

For the first four years I was in America, my parents came over for two to three trips each year (each trip was 2-3 weeks) and I went back to the UK for 2-3 trips each year (each trip was 3-4 weeks). In years 3 and 4 I was travelling back with my little baby girl so we even stayed for a month or more at time in the UK and my parents did at least one trip of 4-5 weeks each year and 2 smaller 2-week trips.

So we got to see each other every couple of months for extended periods at a time.

The caveat is that when you are doing regular trips like that they are NOT vacations.

So after the first few trips when my parents came over they did not expect to be treated like a visitor - they were just there to be with us. They cooked, did their own laundry etc. My husband and I didn't take vacation time - we went to work. My parents brought a stack of books and read and hung out in our home. Or went for walks or did their own day trips etc.

When I went to the UK for a month I was the same - I worked (remotely) and just lived a basic life with them.

Four years after I moved to the US my Mum was diagnosed with a late stage, fast progressing cancer - she died three months later.

I mention this simply because you never know what is going to happen. I am so thankful that we did spend as much time as money and personal situation allowed.

If your mother-in-law can fund her own visit - why not? Let your wife make it clear that it cannot be a traditional vacation and just enjoy being with her and getting to know her. If she can be with you and see how hard you work and can begin to understand how different employment rule and benefits are to Europe, she will be more sympathetic and understanding when you tell her you can't keep flying over to see her.

I think that this is great advice, and I really hope the OP reads it. Thank you for sharing your story.

Thank you!

I'm wondering if anyone else has been in a similar situation where their first name varies slightly between Passport and Green Card, and if this caused any problems?

I married my US husband last year and have just received notification that my 2-year GC has been approved. I've also just realized that my NZ passport will need to be renewed in the next few months.

When I got married, I changed my name a little differently than most - I took his surname, took my maiden surname as my new middle name and hyphenated my first/middle name. For example, my maiden name was Sarah Jane Smith, my husband's surname is Jones. After getting married, my name became Sarah-Jane Smith Jones.

My name has legally been changed in my home country, and I have a new birth certificate/driver license there as Sarah-Jane. When we submitted my I-400 we did use Sarah-Jane but all the paperwork USCIS returned had Sarah Jane, no hyphen. It didn't bother me at the time, I just figured I would update it when applying for naturaliztion.

However, I've realize that when I renew my passport, my name will be Sarah-Jane Smith Jones on my passport, and Sarah Jane Smith Jones on my GC. I'm wondering if this could cause problems when flying or needing to present ID. It's such a small difference, I am hoping that by presenting my NZ birth certificate (with Sarah-Jane) when I travel that will be sufficient to pass through immigration/customs/airline counter checks.

I'm reluctant to pay to change my name in the US if I can wait until naturalization, plus having to pay for and wait for a new Green Card. I did find this page here that says:

Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR): LPR's who change their name due to marriage or because of any other circumstance may travel using your LPR Card (US Green Card; I551) in your prior name provided you bring proof of your name progression such as; a marriage certificate, a divorce decree or court documents showing a legal name change.

... but I'm still a little anxious.

I've found plenty of information on having a different surname on your passport/GC, and but not first. Has anyone else been in this situation?

I won't believe it until I actually have it my hand, but gosh I'm excited.

Our filing date was 21 March 2014, fingerprints done 25 April 2014, NPIW was 27 June 2014.

I really hope that this means things are happening and other March filers will be hearing soon too!

Guys! guys! I just logged in to check my case status and instead of saying 'we received your fingerprint filing fee and are reviewing yours case yada yada' it says...

On February 23, 2015, we ordered your new card for Receipt Number MSCxxxxx, and will mail it to the address you gave us. If you move, go towww.uscis.gov/addresschange to give us your new mailing address.

Does this mean what I think it does? I don't want to get my hopes up because I did send in for an EAD renewal a few weeks ago... but I entered the receipt number from my I-485 in the 'check case status' page so surely it's for my GC instead. SURELY.

I can't wait until my husband gets home, I'm so anxious and excited!

Have you changed your name after marriage? If so they'll likely ask you for a copy of your marriage certificate too. If you have spare copies at home it probably can't hurt to bring one with you.

I wouldn't worry about it.. I mean we'll most likely be getting our GCs now they're moving onto the April filers right.....RIGHT? *crickets chirp*

They're up to April? Lucky, Dallas office says they are still doing February cases... the crickets are pretty loud here too

25 March '14 filer here too, still waiting. We last heard from them back in June with a 'potential interview waiver case' letter that advised they were 'experiencing delays unrelated to our case'.

My EAD expires in June so I sent to renew that last week... except I realised today that I COMPLETELY forgot about my I-131. I was so worried about losing my job if my EAD expired that I completely forgot about travel. Not I'm not too sure where I should send a separate application for my I-131, or whether I should just risk it and hope that my Green Card comes before June (and I don't need to make any emergency trips back in the meantime).

25 March '14 filer here too, still waiting. We last heard from them back in June with a 'potential interview waiver case' letter that advised they were 'experiencing delays unrelated to our case'.

My EAD expires in June so I sent to renew that last week... except I realised today that I COMPLETELY forgot about my I-131. I was so worried about losing my job if my EAD expired that I completely forgot about travel. Not I'm not too sure where I should send a separate application for my I-131, or whether I should just risk it and hope that my Green Card comes before June (and I don't need to make any emergency trips back in the meantime).

Another one who is already in the US, in Texas. Arrived on K1 and am now awaiting adjustment of status. We have been selected as a potential interview waiver case for my I-485, which sounded great at first but it's just delayed the whole process.... we were supposed to have heard back by December 2014 but they're still catching up.

Happy to help with any questions on the K1 process other Kiwis may have, chat about life in the USA etc. My main advice is to always use a cover letter that details what your package includes (helpful for you to check off you haven't missed anything as well), make sure you always have a complete copy of what you've mailed (things get lost, easily) and be prepared to be VERY patient!

Claire

I'm a bit late but I will be thinking about you and hoping that things have gotten better since you wrote this post. It's hard enough coming to a new country and making a new life here without the added stresses your husband's parents are causing.

Hang in there, keep posting/talking to us here and let us know if there's anything we can do to help.

I was just wondering, how did was the moving to the U.S. for you?

How long after your arrival did you get married?

What kind of wedding/ceremony did you have?

How long did/does it take you for the AOS?

Do you work, go to school, ... ?

... .... ...

What are the things you wished one had told you before or helped you with?

The days before you left for the U.S., your flight/trip, your first weeks, months, ...

I just want to know about other people's experiences. Thank you !!

Moving to the US has been, on the whole, pretty smooth sailing. We were married one month after arriving, we had a lot of my husband's family and friends in attendance so we wanted a bit more of a ceremony and party. We used the four weeks between arriving and getting married to acclimatize (he'd been living out of the US as well), do last-minute wedding things and prepare all our paperwork for the AOS so that we could file it the day after we were married. I'm still waiting on my green card but we've been told we're a potential interview waver case so I'm not expecting it this year.

I have got my EAD and have been looking for work for about a month. It's a little frustrating so far as I haven't been hearing back from many of my applications, I expect there's greater numbers applying than jobs in New Zealand or something. I've been mentioning in my cover letter that I'm legally able to work in the US as I wondered if employers were looking at my overseas experience and assuming I needed sponsorship. Hopefully I'll get a bite soon.

What else? I love the variety of restaurants and bars (and beer!) in my city. Going to the supermarket still leaves me filled with awe at all the different products and produce. Some things are cheaper than NZ, some more expensive. We've travelled a little and seen a few more states which has been nice. People are generally very friendly down south, and my husband's family and friends have been SO welcoming. I still miss my friends and family terribly, I have been trying to build my own network of friends here but as an adult it can be a little difficult to get out and meet people, especially when you don't have a car here. I have to consciously remind myself that this is my life now, living here, and it's not just a holiday.

The wait to get my driver licence has been my most annoying thing - my NZ licence 'expired' in May (TX has a 90-day limit on foreign licences) but I had to wait for my EAD card, make three trips to the DPS (and we all know what the lines are like there, argh), wait, wait, take a written test, wait some more... my driving test is this week so HOPEFULLY I can start driving myself again after three months of my poor husband having to shuttle me everywhere. Fortunately he's super patient and understanding. I would recommend applying for your driver licence as soon as you can as it's not a quick process (at least not here in Texas anyway).

Hey

I'm in the same boat!

Who are you flying with? Air New Zealand lets you add up to two extra checked bags (23kg each) - $95 for one, or $240 for two. I'm going to add one bag (as our connecting flights in the States on Southwest only have an allowance of two bags) and try ship a small amount of stuff remaining.

Seven Seas Worldwide has been recommended to me - it seems like you can send a 51x41x61cm box for around $500NZD. I got a quote from Pack & Send for a similar sized box 50x50x50cm (0.125m3), 15kg, for $280 door to door from Auckland to New York. It sounds like you are wanting to send a significant amount more stuff than me, though?

Thanks! We are flying Air NZ to LAX then Virgin as our connecting to TX. I think we are going to go with the checked baggage route - I just assumed that it was going to be cheaper to freight it but doesn't seem to be that way! I have done some more research and it turns out Virgin's allowances are awesome, $25 per extra bag up to 50lb each...I just hope I'm understanding correctly!

If you are just bringing clothes and small things, I would vote for bringing an extra luggage or two aboard with you. It really is much cheaper than going through freight companies. Since I had family coming over to visit, I just got them to bring extra things that didn't fit in my bags.

Thanks! Yes good idea, I have family coming over to visit too so might see what I can cram into their bags haha...

I sent some of my stuff with Pack and Send but I have a feeling I had a bit more than you to send, I do recommend them as the tracking is good only thing I suggest is if you have any breakables may sure you pack them well with paper I had one broken

Thanks! Theirs was definitely one of the more competitive quotes.